Malaysia aims to lead region in infrastructure with new investments and skilled workforce

PETALING JAYA: Increased investments in infrastructure development and addressing skilled worker shortages are key to ensuring Malaysia’s position as a regional industry leader, says Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi.

The Works Minister said Asean would need an estimated US$2.8 trillion in infrastructure investment between 2016 and 2030, or roughly US$184bil each year, to meet growing development and connectivity needs.

Nanta, citing data from the Asian Development Bank, said this highlighted Asean’s need for collective commitment to growth, resilience and unity. He noted that Timor-Leste’s recent admission as Asean’s 11th member state marked not just a milestone for inclusiveness but also opened new opportunities for cross-border infrastructure development.

“This milestone signals the opening of new frontiers in sustainable infrastructure development and cross-border collaboration.

“The recent Asean Summit also underscored the region’s growing global relevance, with Malaysia’s warm reception of key world leaders reflecting our readiness to engage constructively,” he said at the opening ceremony of International Construction Week (ICW) on Wednesday (Oct 29).

Nanta said Malaysia’s commitment to boosting local infrastructure under the 13th Malaysia Plan had already produced encouraging results.

He revealed that the local construction sector grew by 14.2% in the first quarter of 2025, with the value of work done reaching RM42.9bil and further climbing by the middle of the year.

“By mid-year, total construction activity reached RM86.8bil, a 14.7% increase compared to the same period last year.

“This growth was driven mainly by the private sector, which accounted for more than 63% of total work.

“This signals strong investor confidence in the country’s construction and infrastructure outlook,” he said, citing data from Bank Negara and the Statistics Department.

Nanta also unveiled several new initiatives to further boost the industry. These include the Construction Digital Management Index (CDMI) to measure contractors’ digital readiness.

“The programme has just begun, with a framework and survey tools already developed and accessible via digital platforms, including QR codes.

“We want as many industry players as possible to participate in this survey to better establish a baseline for digital adoption.

“Once that is achieved, we can better tailor programmes to help companies progress, from level zero with no digital tools to more advanced stages of digitalisation,” he added.

Other initiatives announced include the SustainBuild Mark (SB Mark), an eco-product certification, and the Small Facilities Embracing Resilient Innovation (SFERA) platform for small and medium contractors.

Nanta said technical and vocational education and training (TVET) programmes would also be intensified to address the shortage of skilled workers.

This will include standardising TVET training across various government agencies, led by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

“The goal is to consolidate these TVET programmes under several government agencies, not to merge them entirely, but to better coordinate them.

“There are many similar TVET programmes across many agencies, so this will help harmonise standards for greater effectiveness,” he said.

ICW 2025, held at the Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre (Mitec), is running from Oct 28 until Oct 30.

Over 350 exhibition booths from 200 companies involving 10 countries are featured at the event, which is hosted by the Works Ministry and jointly organised by Qube Integrated Malaysia and the Construction Industry Development Board Malaysia.

The event is expected to attract over 12,000 visitors from government bodies, related industries and delegates from around the world.